Infusing Critical Thinking into Teaching English to Very Young Children: A Case Study of Two Three-Year-Old Twins

Besides learning a second/foreign language, many educators nowadays believe that education programs and curriculums promoting thinking skills might benefit children, society, and the world. This study explored how critical thinking could be infused into teaching English to young children. Researchers employed a descriptive case study design to portray two three-year-old twins’ critical thinking skills in the early years of life (3-4/5). The findings revealed two main themes to infuse critical thinking in teaching English: the art of storytelling and conversation and interaction between the twins and their mother. Qualitative analysis of the findings showed that the principles of teaching and learning based on Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory could be helpful and applicable even to young language learners. By providing an educational environment that provides appropriate support and mediation by skilled adults and creating opportunities for meaningful interaction with those around them, children can achieve higher cognitive development. This research can share its findings with education communities and very young children’s teachers to promote a new professional development model for infusing critical thinking skills in very young learners’ classrooms.